Textile Ministry launches insurance scheme

Mysore, May 20: Textile Ministry has launched health insurance scheme under the Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana for nearly sixty lakh registered handicrafts artisans in the country.

''The scheme will cover all the artisans all over the country including one lakh in Karnataka. It will come into effect from next month once the the funds are released from the ministry,'' Handicrafts Marketing Extension Centre Assistant Director S C Devaramani told UNI here.

He said the scheme would be continued with proper allocation of funds in the Union Budget.

This, the first health insurance scheme exclusively for artisans, would facilitate cashless transaction. The insured person would be issued a health card on producing which they would avail themselves of free medical treatment from hospitals upto Rs 15,000.

The insurance scheme would cover the artisans' family comprising the artisan and his spouse and two children.

It would cover under the age group of one day to 80 years and it could also cover death and disability due to accidents.

Mr Devaramani said the premimum amount for each insurer was Rs 1,000 per annum of which the beneficiaries has to pay Rs 200 while the ministry would pay the balance amount of Rs 800.

In case of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and below poverty line (BPL) families among the handicrafts artisans, the beneficiaries would have to pay Rs 100 and the government would remit Rs 900, he said.

He said there are 3,500 hospitals which have been entrusted for the treatments in the country, out of which 29 are in Karnataka for cashless transaction for the schemes.

Mr Devaramani said the department hoped to cover all registered handicraft artisans during the Eleventh Plan period, and added that the scheme was a major relief to those who were under unorganised sector.

UNI